1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a training apparatus for teaching football blocking. More particularly to teach pass blocking techniques to offensive lineman and techniques for shedding off cut blocks to all lineman.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Advancing the ball down the field by a team playing offense, in the game of football, as it is played in the United States, is primarily accomplished by one of two methods. The first is the run, where the ball carrier runs until tackled, and the second is the offensive pass. Offensive lineman, in both cases, are charged with protecting the ball carrier or the passer, as the case may be. However, even though the generalized duty is the same, what the offensive lineman does in a passing play is distinctly different from what he is supposed to do in a running play.
The duties of an offensive lineman in a running play are to charge forward to trap, block or tackle a designated defensive player.
In a passing situation, the duty of the offensive lineman is to hold at bay a charging defensive lineman for a sufficient length of time to enable the passer to locate and throw the football to his designated receiver. Typically, the offensive lineman, in a passing situation, adopts a braced stance and slowly retreats, using either body blocks or his hands to hold back the charging defensive lineman. This is called pass blocking.
A number of training or blocking machines have been developed over the years to assist teaching defensive lineman how to effectively charge the offensive lineman. NOFTSINGER, U.S. Pat. No. 2,696,383 is a football blocking machine which teaches these skills and in addition assists in the development of increased charging strength by the simultaneous use of two players, each exerting force against the machine in opposition to one another. JENNINGS, U.S. Pat. No. 3,897,060 also teaches a device for use by charging defensive lineman. MONACO, U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,076 is another such device which assists in teaching a defensive lineman to charge at the snap of the ball.
GEORGE, U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,160 is a football training aid designed to assist a defensive lineman in acquiring the skills of pushing an offensive lineman back and to the side. ROGERS, U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,571 provides an apparatus for training the football player to maintain a predetermined wide based stance during football blocking or tackling exercises. ADDUCI, ET AL., U.S. Pat. No. 3,658,332 teaches tackling techniques against a tackling dummy suspended on a trolley for movement along a cantilever type track which can be selectively pivoted to impart evasive lateral movements to the tackling dummy.
Two tackling devices have been previously developed for teaching offensive lineman proper blocking techniques. The first is MORAN, U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,428 which stimulates a single charge of a defensive lineman. And the second is PILLARD, U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,105 which simulates a side stepping defensive lineman. No device simulates the repeated and extended charges of a defensive lineman and the techniques for simultaneously retreating and reblocking a charging defensive lineman.
The offensive lineman, in a passing play, blocks the charging defensive lineman. If the initial block is successful both the offensive lineman and the defensive lineman will encounter some recoil from the contact. The offensive lineman must then, immediately, regain his blocking stance in preparation for the next charge of the defensive lineman. The defensive lineman may repeatedly charge, and each time the offensive lineman regains his stance he is a little further back from the original line of scrimmage. In effect, his duty is to continue blocking while slowly retreating, in order to give the passer time to locate and throw the football to the intended receiver.
What is needed is a blocking apparatus which will simulate the repeated and extended charges of a defensive lineman.
In a like manner, there are certain specific blocks which are encountered by all players when attempting to make contact the passer or with a running back, and that is, a cut block. A cut block is usually defined as a movement by the person attempting to accomplish the block where he lowers his upper body and attempts to make impact with the charging defensive player. The block is low on the body of the charging player and is most easily overcome by pushing off the intended blocker or, as it is commonly called, shedding off the block. No devices have been specifically built to assist in teaching the shedding of cut block techniques.